FLORIDA 
This albino House Vtfren remained at Altamonte Springs, Seminole County, Florida 
29 October (here) through 8 November 2008. Photograph by Paul Hueber. 
Pond W.M.A. 10 Aug-6 Sep (ph. LaM, m.ob.), 
Florida’s earliest by two months. Florida’s 
breeding Cave Swallows, P. /. julva, are rarely 
found far from their Miami-Dade colonies; 
Caves at Tallahassee 17, 24, & 30 Oct (up to 
3; GM), L. Apopka 1 Oct (HR), Viera Wet- 
lands 18 Nov (David Freeland), S.T.A. 5 on 29 
Nov (2; ME et al.), and Key West, Monroe 30 
Oct (25; CG, JEa) were identified as Pf. pall- 
ida. Early strong cold fronts may have been 
responsible for 2 early Red-breasted 
Nuthatches near Ft. Walton Beach 8 Oct 
(Nathan Farnau, fide Ken Blankenship); a 
Brown Creeper in Franklin 16 Nov OM); ^ 
Winter Wren s. in Alachua 24 Oct QoH); and 
more than 12 reports of Golden-crowned 
Kinglets across the big bend and n. peninsula 
s. to Ocala N.E, Marion 15 Nov (2; DS) and L. 
Apopka, Lake 24 Nov (Bob Sanders). An albi- 
no House Wren in Seminole remained 29 
Oct-8 Nov (ph. PH). Early by about one 
month was a Gray Catbird at L. Apopka 20 
Aug (HR). Florida’s 2nd White Wagtail, an 
apparent M. a. ocularis, was a one-day wonder 
at the Florida Keys Marathon Airport, Monroe 
28 Oct (JEa, RaS, ph. KR, LaM). Two Cedar 
Waxwings were early at Melbourne Beach, 
Brevard 20 Sep (AB). 
WARBLERS THROUGH FIHCHES 
Good counts of 12 Blue-winged and 10 Gold- 
en-winged Warblers and 2 hybrids were re- 
ported from the big bend and the peninsula, 
including 2 male Golden-wingeds (26 Sep and 
6 Oct) and a Brewster’s (22 Oct; ph. RD) that 
were banded at Bill Baggs Cape Florida S.E, 
Miami-Dade (RD, MD, LG). A Lawrence’s 
Warbler was a surprise at Pinecraft Park, Sara- 
sota 29 Sep (Rick Greenspun, Jeanne Dubi et 
al.). Nashville, Cerulean, Wilson’s, and Cana- 
da Warblers are rare migrants 
in Florida and were in near- 
normal numbers. Swainson’s 
Warblers caught at banding 
operations included 15 at Bill 
Baggs Cape Florida S.P. 30 
Aug-18 Oct (RD, MD, LG) and 
one at Tomoka S.P, Volusia 17 
Sep (MW). The season’s only 
Mourning Warbler was identi- 
fied at Jacksonville 2 Oct Qulie 
Cocke). There are about 45 Ba- 
nanaquit reports for Florida; a 
juv. banded at Bill Baggs Cape 
Florida S.P. 15 Sep (ph. RD, 
MD, LG) was the first Ba- 
nanaquit to be banded in the 
continental United States. 
Nine Western Tanagers, a 
high number for fall, were 
found in seven counties from 
Gulf Breeze 28 Sep (L&RAD, Betsy Tetlow) to 
Cutler Bay, Miami-Dade 29 Sep-16 Oct (RT). 
Ten Clay-colored Sparrows in seven counties 
and 18 Lark Sparrows in 10 counties were 
above average for the season. Another one- 
day wonder was a female Lark Bunting at Al- 
ligator Pt. 13 Sep (ph. JM), the 10th report for 
Florida and the 3rd for that location. Always 
of interest on the Gulf 
coast, a Saltmarsh 
Sharp-tailed Sparrow 
was at Ft. De Soto Park 
11 Nov-t (RoS, BAh et 
al.). A Dark-eyed Junco 
was early and far s. at 
Ft. De Soto Park 20 Oct 
(Curtis Manly, fide 
Chuck Geanangel). 
Yellow-headed Black- 
birds put in appear- 
ances at Hague 16 Nov 
(RR, Sarah Rowan), L. 
Apopka 19-23 Nov 
(HR), and Frog Pond 
W.M.A. 27 Nov (ph. 
JHB). Unexpected were 
60 early Rusty Black- 
birds at Eglin A.EB., Okaloosa 10 Nov and one 
far s. at Everglades N.P., Miami-Dade 14-16 
Nov (ph. LaM, JHB). Single Shiny Cowbirds 
were at opposite ends of the state at Ft. Wal- 
ton Beach S.E 17 Nov (DWa) and Flamingo, 
Everglades N.P., Monroe 2 Oct (BAh), with an- 
other at Green Key, Pasco 8 Oct (KT). Away 
from s. Florida, where they are apparently 
breeding, single Bronzed Cowbirds were at Joe 
Overstreet Landing, Osceola 16 Sep (DS) and 
Cedar Key, Levy 23 Nov (RR, ph. Phil Laipis). 
House Finches have yet to completely colo- 
nize Florida: on the e. coast, they are gaining 
numbers in Brevard, where they were reported 
at three locations (AB); an isolated population 
in Broward may be responsible for one seen at 
Bill Baggs Cape Florida S.E 15 Sep (RD). Pine 
Siskins invaded the state, mostly in ones and 
twos, but with a high count of 36 at St. Joe 
Peninsula S.P, Gulf 25 Nov (AW); reports 
came from eight counties as far s. as Honey- 
moon Island S.P. (DG, KT), L. Apopka, Lake 
(AV), and Ft. Pierce Inlet S.E, St. Lucie (DS). 
One very early American Goldfinch appeared 
in Altamonte Springs 31 Aug (PH). 
Cited contributors (and members of the 
Florida Ornithological Society Field Observa- 
tions Committee, in boldface): Brian Ahern 
(BAh), Bruce H. Anderson, Danny Bales 
(DBa), Andy Banker!, Mark Berney (MBe), 
John H. Boyd, Michael Brothers (MBr), Roger 
Clark, Owen Comora, Michelle Davis, Robin 
Diaz, Lucy & Robert A. Duncan, Tom 
Dunkerton, Jim Eager QEa), Margaret Eng- 
land, Charlie Ewell, Jim Flynn, Melissa Fore- 
hand, Dot Freeman, David Gagne, Liz Gold- 
en, Carl Goodrich, Matt Hafner, Al & Bev 
Hansen, Alex Harper, Mitchell Harris, John 
Hintermister OoH). Paul Hueber, Andy Krat- 
ter, Ed Kwater, Ken LaBorde, Patrick Leary, 
Larry Manfredi (LaM), Gail Menk, Paul 
Miller, John Murphy, Alan Murray, Scott Pat- 
terson, Peggy Powell, Bill Pranty, Dexter 
Richardson, Harry Robinson, Kerry Ross, Rex 
Rowan, Carlos Sanchez, David Simpson, 
Rachel Smith (RaS), Ron Smith (RoS), John 
Thornton, Roberto Torres, Ken Tracey, Alex 
Vinokur, Bob Wallace, Don Ware, Meret Wil- 
son, Andy Wraithmell, Gina Zimmerman. O 
Bruce H. Anderson, 2917 Scarlet Road 
Winter Park, Florida 32792, (scizortail@aol.com) 
Andy Bankert, 365 Spoonbill Lane 
Melbourne Beach, Florida 32951, (abankert@fit.edu) 
1 his Lark Bunting in Franklin County 1 3 September 2008 was Florida's tenth and the third 
at Alligator Point. Photograph by John Murphy. 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 1 
69 
